Best players in the Premier League: Top 10 Central Midfielders this season

Modified May 21, 2019 19:28 GMT

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League

#1 Fernandinho (Brazil, Manchester City)

Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City - Premier League

The Brazilian rarely comes to the limelight but is central to everything good that has happened to Manchester City in recent times. His industry and knowledge of the game allowed Pep Guardiola to revolutionize the way City played football, by opting for two No. 10s to partner Fernandinho in the midfield. The Brazilian has been so good that the Manchester City bandwagon has shown no signs of stoppage despite injuries to key players.

Even though Fernandinho carried out a defensive role in the team, he still picked up 1 goal and 3 assists in the league, from 29 appearances. However, his main role in the team was shielding his defense and winning the ball back, something he was exceptional at. The Brazilian has averaged 2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.4 fouls per game. He has registered around 71 passes per game.

Despite the fact that he is 32-year-old, Fernandinho is a tireless worker on the pitch and has run 9.75 km on an average per game. The Brazilian has embodied the Pep Guardiola style of play, by using short passes to play the ball out of the back. However, Fernandinho is extremely good with his tackles when required and has registered a tackle success rate of 75% in the season.

The Brazilian has been the key to Manchester City making history by winning the first English domestic treble. He is the best central midfielder in the Premier League from the 2018/19 season.

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Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

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Edited by Sujith M